Dedifferentiated Mediastinal Liposarcoma: A Case Report.

Liposarcoma is the most common soft tissue sarcoma type in adults, originating mainly from the retroperitoneum and lower extremities. Mediastinal liposarcomas constitute an extremely rare clinical entity of mesenchymal origin. Among subtypes, dedifferentiated liposarcoma is characterized by poor survival, but little is known about its biological behavior.

Unusual Manifestation of Extraosseous Ewing Sarcoma: Report of 3 Cases.

Ewing sarcoma (ES), described as a diffuse endothelioma of the bone, is divided into two categories: osseous and extraosseous, which mainly affects adolescents. Extraosseous Ewing Sarcomas (EES) are rare tumors originating from soft tissues. Their clinical presentation depends mainly on the primary location of the tumor and are highly chemosensitive and radiosensitive.

"One Shot" Sample Evaluation of 22G, 22G upgraded, 21G and 19G needle for Endobronchial Ultrasound-EBUS-TBNA.

There are still diagnostic issues with lung cancer and mediastinum lymphadenopathy. Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) is a state of the art equipment for the diagnosis of lymphadenopathy and central lesions. To investigate the sample size with one pass.

Efficacy of Early and Enhanced Respiratory Physiotherapy and Mobilization after On-Pump Cardiac Surgery: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: This randomized controlled trial aimed to investigate the influence of physical activity and respiratory physiotherapy on zero postoperative day on clinical, hemodynamic and respiratory parameters of patients undergoing cardiac surgeries under extracorporeal circulation.

Methods: 78 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) or/and valvular heart disease surgeries were randomly assigned into an early and enhanced physiotherapy care group (EEPC group; n = 39) and a conventional physiotherapy care group (CPC group; n = 39). Treatment protocol for the EEPC group included ≤3 Mets of physical activity and respiratory physiotherapy on zero post-operative day and an extra physiotherapy session during the first three post-operative days, whereas the CPC group was treated with usual physiotherapy care after the first post-operative day.

Circulatory effects of dexmedetomidine in early sepsis: a randomised controlled experimental study.

We designed this experimental study with a view to evaluate the effects of dexmedetomidine (DEX) on cardiac performance and systemic and peripheral hemodynamics in healthy and early-stage endotoxemia swine models. Our study hypothesis was that DEX can ensure hemodynamic stability during the course of endotoxemia. Thirty-two male pigs (25-27 kg) were assigned into four groups: (1) no intervention (group A), (2) DEX 0.

Chest wall lipoblastoma in a 3 year-old boy.

Background: Lipoblastoma is a rare, benign, fatty tissue tumor that occurs in infancy and early childhood. The most common tumor locations are the extremities and the torso. The location of this tumor in the chest wall and an intrathoracic extension is uncommon.

Distant lung metastases caused by a histologically benign phosphaturic mesenchymal tumor.

Unlabelled: Tumor-induced osteomalacia (TIO) is a rare form of hypophosphatemia usually caused by phosphaturic mesenchymal tumors (PMTs); the biologic behavior of PMTs is under investigation. Herein we present a case of TIO with a protracted course over 12 years leading to a fatal outcome. A 39-year-old man presented with weakness in 2004 and was found to have decreased serum phosphorus, phosphaturia and low levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3.

Successful treatment of familial congenital chylothorax by ligation of the thoracic duct: A case report.

A full term boy was admitted with respiratory distress in the fourth week of his life due to spontaneous chylothorax in his right hemithorax. Spontaneous chylothorax occurred previously in a first cousin of the neonate establishing that way the final diagnosis of familial idiopathic congenital pneumothorax. Failure of the conservative treatment consisting of chest tube drainage, discontinuation of oral diet and administration of total parenteral nutrition in combination with octreotide for one month was followed by the successful ligation of the thoracic duct through a right thoracotomy.

Massive chest wall resection and reconstruction for malignant disease.

Objective: Malignant chest wall tumors are rare neoplasms. Resection with wide-free margins is an important prognostic factor, and massive chest wall resection and reconstruction are often necessary. A recent case series of 20 consecutive patients is reported in order to find any possible correlation between tumor histology, extent of resection, type of reconstruction, and adjuvant treatment with short- and long-term outcomes.

Repair of post-intubation tracheoesophageal fistulae through the left pre-sternocleidomastoid approach: a recent case series of 13 patients.

Objective: Post-intubation tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) is a late complication of tracheotomy, while membranous trachea laceration during percutaneous dilational tracheostomy is implicated in the generation of early post-tracheotomy TEF. Surgical repair is the only viable option for these patients and the technique of repair depends on a variety of factors.

Methods: Totally 13 patients (mean age: 54.

Magnetic connectors for coronary surgery: what do we know a decade later?

In 2001, a novel sutureless magnetic anastomotic device (MVP) for coronary anastomosis was introduced in Europe for both on-pump and off-pump procedures. The device has been implanted in more than 150 patients with encouraging short-term but less favorable mid-term results. However, to date long-term patency outcomes of those recipients have not been investigated.

Early reoperation performed for the management of complications in patients undergoing general thoracic surgical procedures.

Objective: To detect the rate and predisposing factors for the development of postoperative complications requiring re-operation for their control in the immediate postoperative period.

Methods: During the time period 2009-2012, 719 patients (male: 71.62%, mean age: 54±19 years) who underwent a wide range of general thoracic surgery procedures, were retrospectively collected.

Treatment of infected thoracic aortic prosthetic grafts with the in situ preservation strategy: a review of its history, surgical technique, and results.

For cardiothoracic surgeons prosthetic graft infection still represents a difficult diagnostic and treatment problem to manage. An aggressive surgical strategy involving removal and in situ replacement of all the prosthetic material combined with extensive removal of the surrounding mediastinal tissue remains technically challenging in any case. Mortality and morbidity rates following such a major and risky surgical procedure are high due to the nature of the aggressive surgical approach and multi-organ failure typically caused by sepsis.

Adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Lung cancer is one of the most common human malignancies and remains the leading cause of cancer related deaths worldwide. Many recent technological advances led to improved diagnostics and staging of lung cancer. With development of new treatment options such as targeted therapies there might be improvement in progression free survival of patients with advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Advanced bronchoscopic techniques in diagnosis and staging of lung cancer.

The role of advanced brochoscopic diagnostic techniques in detection and staging of lung cancer has steeply increased in recent years. Bronchoscopic imaging techniques became widely available and easy to use. Technical improvement led to merging in technologies making autofluorescence or narrow band imaging incorporated into one bronchoscope.

Superior sulcus (Pancoast) tumors: current evidence on diagnosis and radical treatment.

Pancoast tumors account for less than 5% of all bronchogenic carcinomas. These tumors are located in the apex of the lung and involve through tissue contiguity the apical chest wall and/or the structures of the thoracic inlet. The tumors become clinically evident with the characteristic symptoms of the "Pancoast-Tobias syndrome" which includes Claude-Bernard-Horner syndrome, severe pain in the shoulder radiating toward the axilla and/or scapula and along the ulnar distribution of the upper arm, atrophy of hand and arm muscles and obstruction of the subclavian vein resulting in edema of the upper arm.

Minimal extracorporeal circulation reduces the incidence of postoperative major adverse events after elective coronary artery bypass grafting in high-risk patients. A single-institutional prospective randomized study.

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) using minimal extracorporeal circulation (MECC) has been associated with an improved short-term clinical outcome compared to conventional extracorporeal circulation (CECC). The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of MECC compared to CECC on postoperative major adverse events in high-risk patients undergoing elective coronary revascularization procedures. Two hundred patients undergoing elective CABG were randomized into two groups.

Six minute walking test and carbon monoxide diffusing capacity for non-small cell lung cancer: easy performed tests in every day practice.

Background: Several studies have demonstrated that reduced lung function is a significant risk factor for lung cancer and increased surgical risk in patients with operable stages of lung cancer. The aim of the study was to perform pulmonary function tests and investigate which is a favorable respiratory function test for overall survival between lung cancer stages.

Methods: Lung function tests were performed to lung cancer patients with non-small cell lung cancer of stage I, II, III and IV (241 patients in total).

Elevated levels of anti inflammatory IL-10 and pro inflammatory IL-17 in malignant pleural effusions.

Background: Pleural effusions can be caused by highly different underlying diseases and are characterized by complex interactions of various local and circulating cells as well as numerous soluble parameters like interleukins (IL). Knowledge of this complex network can be helpful in order to make the differential diagnosis in known malignant pleural effusions and understand the underlying immunochemistry of each disease or condition.

Methods: We investigated immunoreactive concentrations of Interleukin 10 (IL-10) and Interleukin 17 (IL-17) in malignant pleural effusions and peripheral blood from patients with bronchial carcinomas and other carcinomas, excluding other conditions such as congestive heart failure (CHF) and pneumonias in twenty four (24) patients (9 men/15 women), 37-74 years (mean:61) with already diagnosed malignant pleural effusions applying the ELISA method.

Pericardial patch tracheoplasty for the repair of a long, multisegmental postintubation tracheal damage.

A 64-year-old man was admitted with a postintubation, multisegmental tracheal damage comprising of two stenotic lesions, below and above a tracheotomy. The patient underwent resection of the damaged anterolateral tracheal wall through a combined collar-cuff and median sternotomy incision and tracheoplasty with autologous pericardium around a Silastic T-tube that was fixed to the cricoid cartilage, healthy distal trachea, and the remaining membranous wall. The postoperative period was complicated with a deep sternal wound infection that was successfully treated with vacuum-assisted closure for 2 weeks.